We Just Bring Everything Together

Hailing from Dhaka, Bangladesh, EXENEMY are a six-man power metal group with an uncommon blend of musical influences that lend to their unique sound. We had the chance to chat with keyboardist Mashuq Haque about their journey so far.

Tell me about the background of Exenemy.

Exenemy was mainly formed by Emran Hassan (vocals) and Akib Sharif (bass). Later on Shahriar Hassan, Akib's cousin, joined the group. All three of them are childhood friends, including Mashuq Haque (keyboardst) who was the band's last recruit. Shanil Arnab (guitar) is the main lyricist in the band, and one of the starting members. Ahmed Souren (guitar) joined the band at the end of 2014 and has been active ever since.

How would you describe Exenemy’s sound?

Firstly I should mention that we were a thrash/speed metal band in the very beginning with a lot of metalcore influence. Later we completely turned to power metal but we still kept our metalcore influences along with a bit 80's heavy metal touches.

Who inspires Exenemy’s sound?

Without a doubt everyone in the band. Not other bands or anything. Everyone in the band has different tastes and we all respect that and bring everything together. Shahriar Hassan loves Dragonforce, Souren loves Dream Theater, Akib loves classic metal bands, Mashuq is a big Kamelot fan, Emran is a big Guns 'N' roses fan and ironically Shanil is a big metalcore fan so we just bring everything together, everyone's knowledges and likes.

Who inspires your personal style?

Many Different bands to be honest. And again I would say it’s the members in the band that inspired our music. But if we are talking about other bands or artists then the count is very high I must say. Starting from Dragonfoce, Helloween to Avenged Sevenfold and even maybe a little bit of [Iron] Maiden.

What is the metal scene like in your home town?

It’s definitely big here. There are so many talented bands and many legends in our own country. I would say that our country and especially our home town has one of the biggest metal scenes any country or a home town can have. We grew up listening to Aurthohin, Artcell, et cetera, basically. And in every gig we see so much potential and such great crowd cheering every mistake as well.

Do you feel you face any unique challenges as a metal band in Bangladesh?

Not quite. There are many great bands in the country. One unique challenge would be our genre. Not many people in the world does power metal with metalcore influences. So yes, getting our music across the world representing our country is one unique challenge that we may face.

What is the songwriting process like for Exenemy?

Basically Shanil or Mashuq composes a song, then Akib and Souren brings out even more melodies. After all that Shahriar and Emran enlightens the song. But before all that Shanil usually comes up with all the lyrics and Emran improvises a little

What is your dream gig?

Any big fest from Rio to Wacken, and mainly a tour in Japan (Bodukan).

You have three tracks available so far. What’s next?

A full length album ,The Choir of the Martyrs. We are hitting the studio as we speak.